should you kick out dairy?

Hi all,
To answer the questions that came up about milk and Skinny Bitch, I enlisted the help of Dawn Jackson Blatner RD, LDN, an American Dietetic Association Media Spokesperson and Chicago's FOX News in the Morning Dietitian. Here's what she had to say:


1) Is it healthy to totally take out dairy?
There are two sides of this...

SIDE ONE: You don't have to take dairy out to be healthy. Dairy contains bone building calcium and vitamin D (along with other components we are just beginning to appreciate such as CLA-conjugated linoleic acid- which studies suggest may have potential to help fight cancer, diabetes, cholesterol, body fat and boost immunity.) The best types of dairy to include are FAT FREE or LOW FAT since higher fat dairy is packed with SATURATED fat (the stuff that clogs arteries and raises cholesterol.) Cheese should be limited because it is high in fat and calories, but the lower fat versions of milk and yogurt can be included at 2-3 servings (8 oz each) per day.

SIDE TWO: On the other hand - if you do eliminate dairy you can be healthy but just make sure you put vegetarian versions of calcium and vitamin D foods back into your diet. If you do ditch dairy...be sure to include something such as fortified soymilk for the bone building duo.

2) What do you all think the book Skinny Bitch? (Or, if you'd rather go broader - of veganism in general?)

Skinny Bitch promotes a vegan type lifestyle. (No animal products such as meat, poultry, milk, eggs or cheese)

A vegan lifestyle can be extraordinarily healthy - but it takes more planning than most other types of diets to ensure no deficiencies especially of protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, B12, and omega three fatty acids. The American Dietetic Association supports vegetarianism. Just a few notes/stats from a book I am writing: Vegetarians (even semi-vegetarians or what I call flexitarians) can prevent diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. They live an average of 3.6 years longer and weight about 15% less than meat eating counter parts!

This diet book does not have enough nutrition guidance from expert sources (dietitians) to ensure the diet is balanced. For example, the month meal plan does not have any nutrition information/nutrient analysis (serving
sizes, calories, protein, fat, vitamins, etc.)

Additionally, if this is to be a healthy lifestyle - there is no mention of an exercise program (except a recommendation to start yoga.)

Bottom Line: A fun read if you don't mind profanity (it personally makes me blush) - but not enough concrete information on diet (recipes/meal plans) or exercise to consider it a healthy and balanced lifestyle/weight loss plan.

There ya go!! Dawn is an A+ expert so thank you to her for doing this on such short notice. I'll be sure to tell you all about her book when it comes out :-)

I'll get myself SB this weekend so I can take a look...and don't worry, 'cuz profanity doesn't bother me a damn bit!

Comments

Leslie, what do you think about organic dairy (low fat, of course)? It supposedly has no hormones or artificial chemicals. I would love to try the vegan lifestyle, but it seems way too complicated and time consuming for a college student. Do you think organic dairy is a good alternative?

Thanks Leslie & Dawn!! Leslie - can you let us know what Dawn's book is/when it comes out? (And yours too - eventually, right?) Also, did she say how veganism compared to vegetarianism as far as life span and weight loss? I've been vegetarian for most of my adult life - I'm just not sure about the dairy thing. I'm looking forward to your review on SB - esp. the part about eating only fruit for breakfast. How can an active girl get through her grueling AM workout on only fruit?? Thanks again Leslie! You rock!!

Hi Beth!
Thanks for your question about milk. Check out http://www.womenshealthmag.com/article/0,6176,s1-2-63-1819-1,00.html for Women's Health Magazine's recent ranking of milk (cow, soy and oat). Also, I've been hearing a lot lately about organic milk from this company: http://www.horizonorganic.com/

The Organic Consumers Association has a lot of info about how Horizon should not really be considered organic. personally, I think it's a little strange to drink cow's milk--why not human breastmilk then, at least it's made for us!

Also, I want to note that the vit D is *added* to cow's milk, nothing special about that, take a pill or eat other fortified food. I eat huge amounts of leafy greens a day and get just as much calcium plus get many more protective effects along with the calcium than than I would if I got the calcium through dairy.

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